Citizenship

An article in the Wall Street Journal of 24 July 2014 on page A7 inspired this from me.

For those who didn’t know or have forgotten, my son Neel has been a missionary in Thailand since 1987. He is married to a Thai Christian woman and they have two children.

My daughter-in-law is active with programs to help migrant Shan children’s day care centers and health care clinics. She gets around.

After they were married a quarter of a century ago, I reminded my daughter-in-law that as the wife of a U.S. citizen it would be easy for her to also become a U.S. citizen.

Her answer was clear and without equivocation, “Dad” she said, “I have more freedoms than you have.” I thought about that remark many times, especially in these last five years. It took a while, but I’m now convinced she was right when she said it, and she remains right today.

So what does my daughter-in-law ‘s remark have to do with that article in the Wall Street Journal?

Simply this, and I have underlined the critical words in the first three paragraphs of that article reprinted below:

“BANGKOK – Thailand’s military leader secured the king’s endorsement for a provisional constitution that will pave the way for a new legislature and interim government while allowing the military to retain power.

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha prostrated himself on a carpet before King Blumibol Adulyadej as he received the charter on Tuesday at the King’s seaside palace, televised footage showed.

It was the first time that Gen. Prayuth was granted an audience with the country’s revered 86-year-old monarch since he seized power from an elected government and scrapped the 2007 constitution two month ago.”

With all that – my daughter-in-law still maintains that she has more freedom than do I. And, I think she is right.

M F Roberts